On Sunday, President Joe Biden granted an official pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases, despite earlier pledges not to involve himself in his son’s legal matters.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” the president said in a statement.
The decision is likely to spark renewed concerns about the independence of the U.S. judicial system, particularly as incoming president Donald Trump has taken steps to appoint loyalists to the FBI and Justice Department.
Earlier this year, Hunter Biden was convicted of lying about his drug use when purchasing a firearm, a felony, and also pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges, though he had not yet been sentenced.
As his presidency enters its final weeks before Trump assumes office on January 20, Joe Biden had consistently stated that he would not pardon his son.
“I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” President Biden said in Sunday’s statement.
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” he added.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”
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The pardon comes as legal proceedings against President-elect Trump have stalled following a landmark Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, effectively ensuring that Biden’s Republican challenger will likely avoid prison, despite his May conviction for falsifying business records.
Historically, US presidents have used pardons to assist family members and political allies. Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for old drug charges, while Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law for tax evasion. In both instances, those individuals had already served their prison sentences.
Trump has also pledged to pardon supporters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which aimed to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
On Sunday, he posted on social media, questioning whether Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter, would extend to those arrested during the riot: “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges in September, facing up to 17 years in prison. He also faced a separate gun charge that could have led to an additional 25 years behind bars. His legal team has argued that he is being prosecuted primarily because of his father’s position.
Hunter has already paid his back taxes and the associated penalties, and he had reached a plea agreement that would have allowed him to avoid jail time, but that deal fell apart at the last moment.
The case has been a persistent point of contention for the Biden family, especially in an election year when Republicans have accused Hunter of receiving preferential treatment.
While President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris has somewhat diminished the Republican drive to make an example of Hunter, prosecutors have shown no leniency, rejecting an “Alford plea,” which would have allowed Hunter to acknowledge the likelihood of conviction while asserting his innocence.
In a statement, Hunter Biden, who has struggled with drug addiction, expressed his commitment to helping others facing similar challenges, saying he would “devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
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